Merkava Mk2

The second-generation Merkava main battle tank, introducing improved fire control, an upgraded engine and additional composite armor over the original Mk1. It saw extensive service in Lebanon before being superseded by later Merkava variants.

In service since 1983 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km/h

500

km range

15.4

hp/t

105

mm gun

60,000

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Israeli export-licensed

Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1983. Status: legacy.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

105 mm NATO

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance.: 46 km/h

Bottom 2% of main battle tanks
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 500 km

Stronger than 59% of main battle tanks
Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility.: 15.4 hp/t

Bottom 5% of main battle tanks

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 105 mm M68 rifled gun
Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods.: 12.7 mm + 2x 7.62 mm machine guns, 60 mm internal mortar
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 105 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 62

Top 4% of main battle tanks

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified.: Spaced composite armor with front-mounted engine block
Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets.: No
NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments.: Yes

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 8.63 m
Width Overall width — matters for rail/road transport of vehicles.: 3.7 m
Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles.: 2.64 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.: 60,000 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 4

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Engine Powerplant model and type.: Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790
Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster.: 900 hp

Stronger than 25% of main battle tanks
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: Diesel

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations.: Yes

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 1

Stronger than 23% of main battle tanks

Specifications compiled from public MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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